Combination ash tray and cigarette extinguisher



Sept. 9, 1958 A. J. MCPHEE ETAL 2,851,039

COMBINATION ASH TRAY AND CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Filed April s; 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.6 2

Allan J. McP/ree Sept. 9, 1958 A. J. M PHEE ETAL 2,351,039

. COMBINATION ASH TRAY AND CIGARETTEEXTINGUISHER Filed April 3, 195a 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Al/an J. McPhee Fred Scaggs IN V ENTORS,

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BY Anon");

United States Patent "ice COMBINATION ASH TRAY AND CIGARETTEEXTINGUISHERV' Allan J. McPhee', Sacramento, andFred Scagg's, Del PasoHeights, Calif.

Application April 3, 1956, Serial No. 575,865

Claims; (CL 131-237) Our invention relates to improvements in combinedash trays and cigarette extinguishers for attachment to the instrumentpanel of an automobile.

The primary object of our invention is to provide an ash tray for theabove purpose embodying means for automatically crushing cigarette buttsso as to flattenand thereby completely extinguish the same and obviateflying sparks and damage thereby.

Another object is to provide an ash tray in which a means for crushingthe cigarette butts operates with a rolling action to facilitatecrushing of the cigarette butts.

Still another object is to provide a combined ash tray and cigaretteextinguisher which is easy to install on the instrument panel of anautomobile, comparatively foolproof, and inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the t details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming. a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating our improvedcombined ash tray and cigarette extinguisher attached to the instrumentpanel of an automobile;

Figure 2- is an enlarged view in vertical section taken on the line 22of Figure 1;

Figure 3' is. a fragmentary view in plan partly broken away and shown insection of the same;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical transverse section taken onthe line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of adrawer forming the ash tray, and parts carried by said drawer; and

Figure 6 is-a further enlarged fragmentary view in vertical sectiontaken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the ash tray and cigaretteextinguisher of our invention comprises a rectangular, open top drawer1, forming the ash tray, and which is provided with an open front endand is slidably fitted in a guide frame 5 for reciprocation therein intoand out of a rectangular opening in a rectangular plate 9 adapted to bebolted at its corners, as at 11, to the instrument panel 13 of anautomobile with the opening registering with a similar opening 15provided in the instrument panel 13. Reinforcing beads 16, 17 areprovided on the plate 9 at the top and bottom of the opening.Longitudinal, internal reinforcing flanges 19 are provided on the upperedges of the sides 21 of the drawer 1.

The guide frame 5 extends from the plate 9 through the opening 15 in theinstrument panel 13 behind said panel 13 from which it preferablyinclined downwardly, as shown, and said frame preferably comprises apair of rectangular rigid wire, side members 23 having front ends 25suitably secured as by welding to the plate 9 at opposite sides of theopening 7. Further, the frame 5 2,851,039 Patented Sept. 9, 1958comprises bottom, rear end, and topwalls 27, 29, 31 respectivelypreferably formed of one piece of sheet metal with edges rolled aroundthe side members 23, as at 33, 35, 37 to secure said walls to saidmembers 23, and a pair of vertical side' straps 39 secured to the frames23, as at 41, in the same manner as said walls. The rear wall 29 forms astop limiting retraction of the drawer 1.

The automatic cigarette crushing and extinguishing means comprises thefollowing:

A rectangular closure door 43 for the front end of the drawer 1 and forthe opening. is hinged at its lower edge, as at 45, to said end forvertical swinging into opened and closed positions, and which, in. thefully retracted positionv of the: drawer 1 fits inthe opening andoverlaps the plate 9 at the top edge of the opening to close saidopening. 7

A suitable knob 47 is bolted as at-49 to said door 43, and a springcatch51 is provided on the escutc'heon plate 9' for releasably holdingthe door 43 closed when the drawer 1 is fully retracted and whereby saiddrawer is held in its fully retracted position.

The door 43 is provided with vertical sideflanges 53 slidably fittedbetween the sides 21 of the drawer 1- for swinging inwardly andoutwardly of the front end 3 of said drawer in overlapping relation-t0said sides 21- when the door 43 is closed and opened, and said door 43is provided witha serrated face 55 for a' purpose presently to bedescribed.-

An. upturned lip 57 on the bottom 27 of the drawer 1 atthe front end 3limits. opening of thedoor 43 so that said door when fully openedinclines" downwardly toward the drawer 1.

The door 43 and its flanges 53 form a chute,designated generally by the:numeral 59, on the front end 3 of the drawer 1 with a serrated. bottomface formed on the door 43,. and which door is swingable downwardly toincline toward drawer. 1 sothat cigarette butts may be placed on. thebottom of the chute formedv by the door 43 and the flanges 53 to rolltoward the drawer 1', and said' chute 59 is swingable upwardly intovertical position to correspondingly swingthe door 43 so as to'dump thebutts into the drawer. 1.

serrated roller 61' is provided for coaction with=the door 43, or thebottom of the chute 59, in response to upward swinging of said chute tocrush cigarette butts and extinguish the same. For this purpose, theroller 61 extends transversely between the fianges 53 and in the chute59 and is yieldingly mounted to constantly roll against the door 43 orthe bottom face of the chute 59, by the following means.

The ends of the rollers 61 are journaled in a roller carrying frame 63comprising a pair of side bars 54 extending longitudinally in the drawer1 and chute 59 with said roller journaled between corresponding endsthereof. The other ends of the bars 65 are pivoted on a horizontaltransverse rod 67 in the drawer 1 so that the frame 63 is verticallyswingable to permit raising and lowering of the roller 61.

The side bars 65, which is to say the frame 63, is longer than thedistance between the pivot rod 67 and the hinge 45 of the door 43, orchute 59 so that the roller 61 is spaced a further distance from thepivot rod 67 than the hinge 45 to be lifted by and rolled up the door43, or the bottom of the chute 59, and swing the frame 63 upwardly inresponse to upward swinging of said door, or chute.

A pair of substantially upright springs 69 are interposed between theflanges 19 and right angled ears 71 welded, as at 73, to the side bars65 and urge the frame 63 downwardly so that the roller 61 will roll uponthe door 43, or the bottom of the chute 59, when said door,

or chute, is swung downwardly, said springs constantly engaging theroller 61 under pressure with the door 43 or bottom of the chute 59. Thetension springs 69 surround guide rods 75 therefor welded, as at 77, tothe flanges 19 and the bottom 28 of the drawer 1, said rods extendingthrough slots 79 in the cars 71.

A transverse scraper plate 81 is secured to the side bars 65 and crossconnects the same with a front edge83 overlying the roller 61 to preventcigarette butts from adhering to said roller. 1

The top wall 31 of the frame is spaced from the front end of said frameso that the frame 5 is open directly behind the instrument panel 13 andan electric light bulb 85 with suitable leads 87 is provided on the backof said panel 13 for illuminating the drawer 1 when said drawer is fullyretracted. This provides for easily viewing the contents of the drawer 1through its front end when the door 43, or chute 59, is swung downwardlyand the opening uncovered.

In operating our invention, the door 43, or chute 59 is swung downwardlyinto its limit of downward movement established by the lip 57, tothereby uncover the opening and the front end of the drawer 1, as shownin dotted lines in Figure 2 and in full lines in Figure 3. This permitsthe springs 69 to swing the frame 63 downwardly, and the roller 61 toroll down the door 43, or chute 59 into a position adjacent and in frontof the hinge 45. Cigarette butts may then be deposited on the door 43,or bottom face of the chute 59 and said door closed swinging chute 59upwardly until the door closes the opening. In response to such upwardswinging of the chute 59, the roller 61 is caused to roll upwardly onthe bottom of the chute 59 to roll over the butts and coact with theserrated upper face of the door 43 whereby to crush and extinguish thebutts and then release the same to fall into the drawer 1. When too manycigarette butts have been accumulated in the drawer 1 it may be pulledoutwardly out of the frame 5 and cleaned out. Cigarette ashes may bedeposited in the drawer 1 by way of its front end when the drawer isfully or partly retracted or deposit in the drawer through the top ofthe drawer when said drawer is advanced sufliciently out of the plate 9.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention 4 to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A combined ash tray and cigarette extinguisher comprising a frameattachable to an automobile instrument panel behind the same, a drawerslidable in said frame through an opening in an automobile instrumentpanel and having an open front end, a chute having a bottom face andsides, means pivoting said chute to the front end of said drawer forswinging downwardly and upwardly to incline its bottom face downwardlytoward said end and vertically in front of said end, respectively, toreceive cigarette butts therein when swung downwardly and dump the buttsinto the drawer when swung upwardly, a roller disposed transversely insaid chute, and means in said drawer mounting said roller for rollingupwardly on said face in response to upward swinging of said chute forcoaction with said face to crush and extinguish butts deposited on saidbottom face before the butts are dumped.

2. The combination of claim 1, said roller mounting means comprising aroller carrying frame pivoted in said drawer for vertical swinging.

3. The combination of claim 1, said roller mounting means comprising aroller carrying frame pivoted in said drawer for vertical swinging, andspring means in said drawer operatively connected to said frame to urgethe roller carrying frame downwardly and said roller into engagementwith said face.

4. The combination of claim 2, said roller carrying frame including ascraper plate overlying said roller to prevent cigarette butts fromadhering to the roller.

5. The combination of claim 2, said roller being spaced a greaterdistance from the pivot of the roller carrying frame than the pivotingmeans of said chute so that said roller will be rolled upwardly by saidbottom face in response to upward swinging movement of the chute.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS JinksMay 27, 1952

